W 1,500/M 800: Alexa Efraimson & Elise Cranny Both Move on to Final; American Tre’tez Kinnaird Advances in 800, Bailey Roth Breaks US HS Record in Boys Steeple

By LetsRun.com
July 25, 2014

The morning session of Day 4 at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore., was a busy one as it saw the semifinals of the men’s 3,000 steeplechase and women’s 1,500 as well as the first round of the men’s 800. It was a good day for the Americans as both Alexa Efraimson (going to be a HS senior) and Elise Cranny (headed to Stanford) advanced to Sunday’s final in the women’s 1,500 while incoming Arizona freshman Bailey Roth broke a 35-year-old national record in the 3,000 steeplechase held by Eugene native Jeff Hess.

Tre’tez Kinnaird (Indiana) also advanced to Saturday’s semifinals in the men’s 800, while Myles Marshall (men’s 800, HS junior) and Bryce Miller (men’s steeple, UMKC) didn’t have it today and failed to move on. We recap the action with results below.

Full results

Women’s 1,500 semis

Top four in each heat advanced to final plus next four fastest times.

Efraimson would qualify comfortably for Sunday's final Efraimson would qualify comfortably for Sunday’s final

Heat 1

A first 400 of 69.60 did little to break up the field, with Efraimson and Ethiopia’s 4:02 woman Gudaf Tsegay behind leader Ekaterina Sokolova of Russia. Those three still led with two to go, with Kenya’s Sheila Keter and Great Britain’s Bobby Lake (4th at World Youths last year) behind them.

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After a 67.46 third lap, the Tsegay, Keter, Efraimson and Lake broke from the pack and as they rounded the Bowerman Curve, the four auto spots were all but decided. Tsegay and Keter would separate slightly from Efraimson and Lake, but all four made it comfortably through. Sokolova would hang on for fifth, but the modest early pace (2:20 at 800) meant that she would not get one of the four time qualifiers, all of which would come from Heat 2.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 581 Gudaf TSEGAY ETHETH 4:15.62 Q
Details 2 987 Sheila Chepngetich KETER KENKEN 4:16.13 Q
Details 3 667 Bobby CLAY GBRGBR 4:16.56 Q SB
Details 4 1594 Alexa EFRAIMSON USAUSA 4:16.87 Q
Details 5 1313 Ekaterina SOKOLOVA RUSRUS 4:19.88
Details 6 764 Anastasía-Panayióta MARINÁKOU GREGRE 4:20.50
Details 7 475 Maria LARSEN DENDEN 4:21.68
Details 8 1043 Sara SOUHI MARMAR 4:23.17 PB
Details 9 110 Rima CHENAH ALGALG 4:25.97 PB
Details 10 1488 Emine Hatun TUNA TURTUR 4:26.28
Details 11 1072 Arantza HERNÁNDEZ MEXMEX 4:29.06
Details 12 858 Giulia APRILE ITAITA 4:29.43
Details 13 630 Johanna GEYER CARLES FRAFRA 4:33.84
Details 14 351 Alexandra LUCKI CANCAN 4:36.90
Seyaum had this one in the bag but it was a battle for the next three auto spots Seyaum had this one in the bag but it was a battle for the next three auto spots; Cranny (far left) would end up fourth

Heat 2

The favorite, Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum, who has run 3:59 this year and beat Jenny Simpson in New York on June 14, took the lead in this one and led through a quick 65.01 opening lap. Elise Cranny of the U.S. was close to the front but on the rail, with several bodies in front of her.

The pace slowed to 71.57 for the second lap and with 500 to go, there were still nine women in it. Seyaum began to move at the bell and would look very relaxed in pulling away to victory over the final lap, repeatedly glancing over her shoulder to observe her lead. Behind her, it was a four-woman fight for the other three auto spots as Cranny battled with Great Britain’s Amy Griffiths, Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui and Kenya’s Winfred Mbithe.

Griffiths lost some ground on the other three in the home stretch to finish fifth but it wouldn’t matter as she would also advance as a time qualifier. The faster early pace (2:16 at 800 rather than 2:20) meant that all four time qualifiers came from this race.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 578 Dawit SEYAUM ETHETH 4:14.72 Q
Details 2 1195 Sofia ENNAOUI POLPOL 4:15.07 Q
Details 3 989 Winfred MBITHE KENKEN 4:15.12 Q PB
Details 4 1590 Elise CRANNY USAUSA 4:15.21 Q
Details 5 678 Amy GRIFFITHS GBRGBR 4:16.22 q
Details 6 615 Cassandre BEAUGRAND FRAFRA 4:18.56 q
Details 7 332 Katelyn AYERS CANCAN 4:18.87 q PB
Details 8 181 Anna LAMAN AUSAUS 4:18.89 q
Details 9 1660 Marege HAYELOM AZEAZE 4:20.58
Details 10 476 Josephine THESTRUP DENDEN 4:23.60
Details 11 1248 Maria Claudia FLOREA ROUROU 4:25.12 PB
Details 12 1144 Elisabeth Angell BERGH NORNOR 4:26.14
Details 13 1021 Mokulube MAKATISI LESLES 4:32.43
Details 14 811 Siofra CLEIRIGH BUTTNER IRLIRL 4:33.49
Details 15 1659 Enlitha NCUBE ZIMZIM 4:40.06

Quick Take #1: Seyaum made this look easy.

We know that the heavy favorite doesn’t always deliver (Cuba’s Sahily Diago was way faster than everyone else coming into the 800 but had to settle for silver), but Seyaum entered as the class of this field and ran like a star today. The entire field was keying off her and Seyaum never looked to be in any trouble. She opened up a gap easily on the final lap and seemed to have plenty left in the tank as everyone else dug in to qualify. She has the fastest PR and looked the best in the prelims so we’ll be very surprised if she doesn’t win in the final (Sunday, 6:55 p.m. ET).

Quick Take #2: Efraimson and Cranny both looked fine and should have a shot at a medal in Sunday’s final.

Efraimson has the faster PR (#3 in the field at 4:07.05) but it’s hard to gain much insight from her prelim. There were four women that all broke away, and though Efraimson didn’t finish at the front of that group, she didn’t have to as she was still guaranteed a spot in the final. Cranny had to battle a bit more as she was in a group of four for three auto spots, but in the end she got the last auto and was over a second in front of the next finisher. Neither made it look easy like Seyaum, but it also didn’t look like either of them were going all out to make the final.

As it stands, the Americans have a decent shot at a medal, with Efraimson more likely to medal than Cranny considering she’s run faster and beat her at U.S. Juniors.

Discuss this race in our fan forum: Alexa and Elise both Qualified for 1500 Final.

Men’s 800 prelims

Top three in each heat advance to semis plus next six fastest times

Australia’s Luke Mathews used a big negative split (57-53) to lead the qualifiers as the University of Florida’s Andres Arroyo, an NCAA qualifier outdoors, missed out.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 152 Luke MATHEWS AUSAUS 1:50.76 Q
Details 2 1385 Kalle BERGLUND SWESWE 1:50.99 Q
Details 3 562 Mamush LENCHA ETHETH 1:51.23 Q
Details 4 1223 Andrés ARROYO PURPUR 1:51.63
Details 5 713 Marc REUTHER GERGER 1:52.33
Details 6 393 Rosel LUSANGA KAFWA CODCOD 1:54.81
Details 7 1238 Mohamed El Nour MOHAMED QATQAT 1:55.17
Details 1067 Omar ROSALES MEXMEX DQ R163.3(a)

Heat 2

Sweden’s Andreas Almgren (1:46.99 PR) looked very good in this one as the U.S.’s Myles Marshall (son of 1984 U.S. 800 Olympian John Marshall) faded from third at the bell to last.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 1383 Andreas ALMGREN SWESWE 1:50.27 Q
Details 2 807 Karl GRIFFIN IRLIRL 1:50.69 Q
Details 3 532 Axel VIVES ESPESP 1:50.77 Q
Details 4 150 Jordan MAKINS AUSAUS 1:51.02
Details 5 325 Robert HEPPENSTALL CANCAN 1:51.66
Details 6 1359 Jonas SCHÖPFER SUISUI 1:52.26
Details 7 472 Kristian Uldbjerg HANSEN DENDEN 1:52.35
Details 8 1545 Myles MARSHALL USAUSA 1:53.98
Kipketer and Kinnaird ran side-by-side for much of this race Kipketer and Kinnaird ran side-by-side for much of this race

Heat 3

Unusually for him, Kenya’s World Youth champ/1:44 man Alfred Kipketer ran even splits in this one (54.79-55.01) and looked great to win. American Tre’tez Kinnaird was right with Kipketer until he was passed in the final meters by the Netherlands’ Tony Van Diepen but held on for the final auto spot.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 972 Alfred KIPKETER KENKEN 1:49.80 Q
Details 2 1096 Tony VAN DIEPEN NEDNED 1:50.04 Q
Details 3 1543 Tre’tez KINNAIRD USAUSA 1:50.07 Q
Details 4 609 Nasredine KHATIR FRAFRA 1:50.18 q
Details 5 329 Elijah SILVA CANCAN 1:51.26
Details 6 1466 Utku ÇOBANOGLU TURTUR 1:51.73
Details 7 506 Abraham TSEGAY TESFAMARIAM ERIERI 1:52.16
Details 8 778 Gergõ KISS HUNHUN 1:52.73

Heat 4

Ethiopia’s Jena Umar held off a late charge by Great Britain’s Kyle Langford as those two comfortably qualified at the front of Heat 4.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 565 Jena UMAR ETHETH 1:49.44 Q
Details 2 661 Kyle LANGFORD GBRGBR 1:49.73 Q
Details 3 856 Enrico RICCOBON ITAITA 1:49.96 Q
Details 4 1300 Konstantin TOLOKONNIKOV RUSRUS 1:50.19 q
Details 5 1093 Vincent HAZELEGER NEDNED 1:50.90
Details 6 895 Kevon ROBINSON JAMJAM 1:51.89
Details 7 1057 Jesús Tonatiu LÓPEZ MEXMEX 1:52.59
Details 8 1440 Nicholas LANDEAU TTOTTO 1:56.40
asdfasd Masikonde and Andre had separation on the home straight

Heat 5

The fastest heat of the day was won by Kenya’s 1:45 man Joshua Masikonde as six of the eight runners in this heat advanced to the semis. Brazil’s Thiago Andre, fourth in last night’s 1,500 final, was second with a gap back to Austria’s Dominik Stadlmann in third.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 979 Joshua Tiampati MASIKONDE KENKEN 1:47.84 Q
Details 2 277 Thiago ANDRÈ BRABRA 1:48.05 Q
Details 3 192 Dominik STADLMANN AUTAUT 1:49.07 Q PB
Details 4 246 Aurele VANDEPUTTE BELBEL 1:49.40 q
Details 5 259 Yan SLOMA BLRBLR 1:49.48 q PB
Details 6 1333 Lucijan ZALOKAR SLOSLO 1:49.84 q
Details 7 851 Lorenzo PILATI ITAITA 1:51.87
Details 8 113 Pol MOYA ANDAND 1:58.44

Heat 6

Austria’s Nikolaus Franzmair, who was fifth at European Juniors last year, bided his time in this one but in the end there was no question who was best as he powered away in the final straight. Ireland’s Robert Tully went out in 52.07 for the first lap, over a second faster than any other heat, and it cost him as he ran a painful 60-second final lap and faded to last.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 190 Nikolaus FRANZMAIR AUTAUT 1:49.30 Q
Details 2 641 Theo BLUNDELL GBRGBR 1:49.89 Q
Details 3 1225 Andres GONZALEZ PURPUR 1:50.10 Q PB
Details 4 104 Takieddine HEDEILLI ALGALG 1:50.15 q
Details 5 516 Alberto GUERRERO ESPESP 1:50.53
Details 6 1235 Abubaker Haydar ABDALLA QATQAT 1:50.79
Details 7 1038 Jawad DOUHRI MARMAR 1:51.76
Details 8 810 Robert TULLY IRLIRL 1:52.86

The men’s 800 continues with the semifinals tomorrow at 7:25 p.m. ET.

Men’s 3,000 steeple semis

Top five in each heat advance to final plus next five fastest times

Heat 1

Kenya’s Barnabas Kipyego crushed this one and ran 8:31 when he could have run 10 seconds slower and still qualified easily. But Kipyego’s front-running dragged the field along to some very fast times, with over half the field setting PRs. That included Roth, who set a U.S. high school record even though he was just seventh in the race (old record: 8:50.1).

The 3,000 steeplechase is rarely run at the high school level, but 8:48 is a very solid time for an 18-year-old. Roth already had the HS 2,000 steeple record and is well-positioned for a nice future in the event as it usually takes college steeplers a year or two to really figure out the event. He’ll have to improve a lot if he wants the U.S. junior record though, as former Georgetown runner (and former Brown coach) John Gregorek holds that at 8:33.8.

Discuss this feat in our fan forum: *MB: Bailey Roth breaks 35 year old steeple HSR!

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 976 Barnabas KIPYEGO KENKEN 8:31.72 Q
Details 2 560 Meresa KAHSAY ETHETH 8:38.01 Q
Details 3 302 Evans Rutto CHEMATOT BRNBRN 8:40.37 Q PB
Details 4 834 Yohanes CHIAPPINELLI ITAITA 8:46.82 Q PB
Details 5 107 Ali MESSAOUDI ALGALG 8:46.95 Q
Details 6 703 Patrick KARL GERGER 8:47.20 q PB
Details 7 1556 Bailey ROTH USAUSA 8:48.60 q PB
Details 8 1013 Alberts BLAJS LATLAT 8:52.47 q PB
Details 9 328 Ben PREISNER CANCAN 8:53.14 q PB
Details 10 942 Kazuya SHIOJIRI JPNJPN 8:54.95 q
Details 11 454 Filip SASÍNEK CZECZE 8:55.53 PB
Details 12 610 Guillaume LONJOU FRAFRA 8:58.72 PB
Details 13 1471 Mestan TURHAN TURTUR 9:18.71
Details 14 1064 Daniel REYES MEXMEX 9:19.81

Heat 2

The #2 runner on the 2014 junior list at 8:22, Titus Kibiego of Kenya qualified comfortably and won Heat 2.

POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 971 Titus Kipruto KIBIEGO KENKEN 8:49.95 Q
Details 2 1039 Soufiane ELBAKKALI MARMAR 8:50.19 Q
Details 3 555 Hailemariyam AMARE ETHETH 8:54.92 Q PB
Details 4 1264 Tumisang MONNATLALA RSARSA 8:56.51 Q
Details 5 603 Mehdi BELHADJ FRAFRA 8:58.87 Q
Details 6 314 Brandon ALLEN CANCAN 8:59.84
Details 7 1547 Bryce MILLER USAUSA 9:06.17
Details 8 1470 Ersin TEKAL TURTUR 9:11.46
Details 9 836 Umberto CONTRAN ITAITA 9:13.92
Details 10 450 Jan FRIŠ CZECZE 9:20.52
Details 11 1216 André PEREIRA PORPOR 9:22.56
Details 12 1503 Serhii SHEVCHENKO UKRUKR 9:22.91
Details 13 102 Fayçal DOUCEN ALGALG 9:28.96
Details 14 514 Llorenç ESTEVE ESPESP 9:33.71

The men’s steeple final will be held at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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